Is my labmate commiting fraud?

[busydude]

So my labmate recently shipped his iPhone, which is still under contract, to his home country and reported it as lost and claimed the insurance to buy a new phone. This is the second time he is doing this AFAIK. He is actually proud of doing this and keeps boasting about it all the time. Tells me that this was all preplanned, so that the money he pays for insurance "doesn't go to waste."

This isn't right, right?

 

[dank69]

seems legit

 

[Vdubchaos]

And why does this bother you so much?

Let him learn the hard way, grab popcorn and watch from sidelines.

 

[rcpratt]

Fortunately, at least for VZW, they remove your insurance privileges after two claims in 12 months.

 

[jaedaliu]

Man, he is SO not going to be happy with you when he goes to jail.

Hrm, is this insurance fraud?

 

[almightyobo]

iFraud

 

[xeledon20005]

from what I take is that, even if he ships the phone away the phone provider will block the serial number on the phone he shipped and the phone won't be able to be used at all anyway.

 

[z1ggy]

from what I take is that, even if he ships the phone away the phone provider will block the serial number on the phone he shipped and the phone won't be able to be used at all anyway.

Report him?

 

[LucJoe]

from what I take is that, even if he ships the phone away the phone provider will block the serial number on the phone he shipped and the phone won't be able to be used at all anyway.

Verizon blocks IMEI
No Verizon in India
???
Profit

 

[summit]

he still needs to pay the deductible + the 8 bucks or so a month for insurance. it is definitely abusing the system, but not sure how much money "doesn't go to waste." 100 dollar min deductible plus 8 bucks *12 months = 196 dollars.

 

[slayer202]

isn't that called capitalism?

 

[techs]

iFraud

iWinnar!

 

[Wyndru]

A lot of people take advantage of insurance, but with Verizon it costs $100 to get a replacement (in addition to the monthly cost). And you get a refurbed phone, so it really isn't worth it IMO. Accidental coverage on electronics from say best buy or staples?...I know lot of people that take advantage of this. A buddy of mine gets a new iPod every 2-3 years by just breaking his old one. They give him in store credit toward a new one each time. It's crazy.

On a side note, a few years ago I was having strange issues (and occasional blue screening) with a laptop I bought, and I suspected it was a lemon from the day I bought it. The place I bought it from (big office supply chain, I won't say the name) just kept re-imaging it which wouldn't fix the issue. Finally I had a customer service rep tell me that since I have the insurance it could get wet and be covered under accidental damage and they would have to give me a new one. So it broke, and I finally got a new one. Kinda sad they couldn't fix it normally, probably just needed a new motherboard, or maybe even just had a defective stick of memory.

 

[Paladin3]

So my labmate recently shipped his iPhone, which is still under contract, to his home country and reported it as lost and claimed the insurance to buy a new phone. This is the second time he is doing this AFAIK. He is actually proud of doing this and keeps boasting about it all the time. Tells me that this was all preplanned, so that the money he pays for insurance "doesn't go to waste."

This isn't right, right?

If you have to ask...

America is full of people who will proudly fuck each other over every chance they get. When it happens to them they complain with great shock and righteous indignation about the dishonesty of America.

 

[nehalem256]

Is reporting a phone as lost that wasn't lost fraud?

Please tell us. Is this "labmate" you? And are you just trying to assuage a guilty conscience?

 

[rcpratt]

Is reporting a phone as lost that wasn't lost fraud?

Please tell us. Is this "labmate" you? And are you just trying to assuage a guilty conscience?

If that's seriously what you inferred from the tone of the post, I don't know what to tell you.

But I guess this wouldn't be the first time somebody implicated themselves on the internet.

 

[tailes151]

Yes, it's insurance fraud and it is a felony in many states. He's not "getting what he pays for", he's actually just making the rest of us pay more in premiums.

 

[Vdubchaos]

If you have to ask...

America is full of people who will proudly fuck each other over every chance they get. When it happens to them they complain with great shock and righteous indignation about the dishonesty of America.

If you look at the history of this country, it's all about fucking others over and how much you can get away with.

But to America's defense, it's the history of the WORLD.

 

[busydude]

Is reporting a phone as lost that wasn't lost fraud?

Please tell us. Is this "labmate" you? And are you just trying to assuage a guilty conscience?

Yeah, I figured this comment would come up. I am still on my trusty 2.5 year old android phone.

 

[JimKiler]

In college we knew a guy from Greece who supposedly racked up credit card debt and was planning to go back to Greece after graduating without paying anything off. He said others had done the same thing.

But how could the OP not see this as anything but fraud, he is lying that his phone was stolen.

 

[manimal]

Anytime anyone brags about fraud I remind them its fraud and tell them my costs are higher because of people like you.


Call people out like this. People like this ruined costcos return policy among most retailers.

People like this are responsible for insurance premiums being so high.

People like this are responsible for the price of gasoline.

people like this are responsible for child hunger...If you add up all the money spent on fraud it could feed all the children in the world!!!


I may have exaggerated a bit.

 

[busydude]

In college we knew a guy from Greece who supposedly racked up credit card debt and was planning to go back to Greece after graduating without paying anything off. He said others had done the same thing.

But how could the OP not see this as anything but fraud, he is lying that his phone was stolen.

I know that he is doing something illegal but have no idea of how severe the punishment can be.

 

[TridenT]

I know that he is doing something illegal but have no idea of how severe the punishment can be.

You could report it and let the douchebag suffer the consequences.

 

[Vdubchaos]

I know that he is doing something illegal but have no idea of how severe the punishment can be.

There is no borders when it comes to credit reports....it travels with you.

 

[MrDudeMan]

You could report it and let the douchebag suffer the consequences.

This is obviously the right answer. Probably nothing will come of reporting it, but I'd do it anyway. Wrong is wrong.